Storage system and control apparatus

Abstract

A storage system includes a storage apparatus, a control apparatus, and a host apparatus. The storage apparatus includes a recording medium. The control apparatus includes a detection unit and a control unit. The detection unit detects whether a recording medium loaded in the storage apparatus is a stand-alone-only recording medium that is used in a stand-alone mode. When the recording medium is the stand-alone-only recording medium, the control unit registers a physical volume of the stand-alone-only recording medium as a logical volume and automatically switches the operation mode of the control apparatus to the stand-alone mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A storage system comprising:
 a storage apparatus that performs reading or writing data on recording media; and 
 a control apparatus that includes a controller which registers, when detecting that a recording medium loaded into the storage apparatus is a stand-alone-only recording medium that is used in a stand-alone mode, a physical volume of the stand-alone-only recording medium as a logical volume and switches an operation mode to the stand-alone mode. 
 
     
     
       2. The storage system according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 after registering the physical volume of the stand-alone-only recording medium as a logical volume, the controller switches the operation mode to the stand-alone mode. 
 
     
     
       3. The storage system according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the control apparatus includes a storage unit which stores registration information representing whether volume identification information is registered; 
 when the controller determines that a label given to the recording medium is a stand-alone-only label and determines that volume identification information on the stand-alone-only label is not registered in the registration information, the controller recognizes that the recording medium is a stand-alone-only recording medium; and 
 when the controller determines that the label is a stand-alone-only label and determines that volume identification information on the stand-alone-only label is registered in the register information, or when the controller determines that the label is not the stand-alone-only label, the controller recognizes that the recording medium is not a stand-alone-only recording medium and data processing of the recording medium is performed via another apparatus connected with the control apparatus. 
 
     
     
       4. The storage system according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 when a stand-alone mode start operation is performed, the controller uses volume identification information of the physical volume of the stand-alone-only recording medium as volume identification information of the logical volume, selects a logical unit number to be used in the stand-alone mode from unused logical unit numbers, and assigns the selected logical unit number to the logical volume. 
 
     
     
       5. The storage system according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 when data processing of the recording medium is being performed in the stand-alone mode, the controller guards the logical volume, to which a logical unit number used in the stand-alone mode has been allocated, from being accessed by hosts other than a host performing the data processing. 
 
     
     
       6. The storage system according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 when ending the stand-alone mode for the logical volume, the controller unmounts the logical volume and copies changed data in the logical volume to the stand-alone-only recording medium. 
 
     
     
       7. The storage system according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the control apparatus includes a storage unit which stores stand-alone information in which volume names, physical volumes, and logical volumes of detected stand-alone-only recording media are associated with each other; 
 when receiving a stand-alone operation instruction specifying a volume name, the controller refers to the stand-alone information; and 
 when the volume name specified in the instruction matches a volume included in the stand-alone information and a stand-alone-only recording medium that is used in the stand-alone mode is stored in the storage apparatus in association with the volume, the controller registers the physical volume corresponding to the volume name specified in the instruction as a logical volume and switches the operation mode to the stand-alone mode. 
 
     
     
       8. The storage system according to  claim 7 , wherein:
 the controller selects a logical unit number to be used in the stand-alone mode from unused logical unit numbers, and assigns the selected logical unit number to the logical volume. 
 
     
     
       9. The storage system according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 when the stand-alone-only recording medium is a read-only recording medium, the controller copies data of the physical volume to the logical volume. 
 
     
     
       10. The storage system according to  claim 7 , wherein:
 when ending the stand-alone mode, the controller stores the stand-alone-only recording medium in the storage apparatus and generates stand-alone information in which the volume name, the physical volume, and the logical volume of the stand-alone-only recording medium are associated with each other. 
 
     
     
       11. The storage system according to  claim 10 , wherein:
 the controller unmounts the logical volume; and 
 when the stand-alone-only recording medium is a write-only recording medium, the controller copies data of the logical volume to the physical volume; and 
 the controller unmounts the physical volume. 
 
     
     
       12. The storage system according to  claim 7 , wherein:
 the controller refers to the stand-alone information and when the volume specified in the instruction does not match any volume included in the stand-alone information or when the stand-alone-only recording medium that is used in the stand-alone mode is not stored in the storage apparatus in association with the volume, the controller outputs an error message. 
 
     
     
       13. A control apparatus comprising:
 a processor that detects whether a recording medium loaded in a storage apparatus is a stand-alone-only recording medium that is used in a stand-alone mode and registers, when the recording medium is the stand-alone-only recording medium, a physical volume of the stand-alone-only recording medium as a logical volume and switches an operation mode to the stand-alone mode. 
 
     
     
       14. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program that causes a computer to perform a procedure comprising:
 detecting whether a recording medium loaded in a storage apparatus is a stand-alone-only recording medium that is used a stand-alone mode; 
 registering, when the recording medium is the stand-alone-only recording medium, a physical volume of the stand-alone-only recording medium as a logical volume; and 
 switching an operation mode to the stand-alone mode.